Economics, Commerce and Industrial Relations
Section

Workplace relations reforms: a chronology of business,
community and Government responses

Note: This chronology is complemented by the Guide to the
Workplace
Relations Amendment (Work Choices) Bill 2005 which is
maintained by the Law & Bills Digest Group. This guide contains
links to parliamentary resources (such as transcripts and
amendments) relating to passage of the Workplace Relations
Amendment (Work Choices) Bill 2005.

Introduction

The Government amended the Workplace
Relations Act (WR Act) by the
Workplace Relations Amendment (Work Choices) Bill 2005, (see
Bills
Digest, see also the Parliamentary Library’s internet
guide to the WorkChoices Bill, including proposed amendments
from non-government parties ) with the Senate accepting 337
government amendments to the 685 page bill on 2 December 2005. This
Bill has repealed key provisions of the old WR Act and substituted
new provisions. It is expected to become law before the end of
2005. The chronology outlined in the table below dates from the
federal election of 9 October 2004. However, the background to the
Government’s IR proposals, in 2005, derive from its
legislative agenda since 1996.

The major change to the Australian labour law of the Coalition
Government was the
Workplace Relations and Other Legislation Amendment Act
1996 (WROLA Act). The Act, inter alia, introduced
Australian Workplace Agreements (individual employment agreements)
as a bargaining outcome; reduced the content of industrial awards
to 20 allowable matters and permitted traditional arbitration in
respect of the 20 allowable matters only, or in certain
circumstances when enterprise bargaining failed, usually between a
union and an employer. Bargaining required agreements to pass a No
Disadvantage Test based on a relevant or other designated award.
The WROLA Act passed with support of the Australian Democrats and
their insistence on 176 amendments.

The period since 1996, however, could be characterised as being
of limited success in respect of subsequent legislation. Three key
issues have been behind the legislation since WROLA. These have
been:

the Australian Industrial Relations Commission s (AIRC) role in
setting the safety net of wages and employment conditions has been
the third area of contention. The AIRC s role of setting safety net
awards is specified under the WR Act (section 88B). The Government
and employers believed that minimum wages have been set too high,
evident in criticism of AIRC decisions which did not adequately
countenance the view that high minimum wages cause unemployment. An
attempt to correct this tendency was made via the
Workplace Relations Amendment (Protecting the Low Paid) Bill
2003. This Bill failed to pass the Senate.

However, with a Coalition majority in the Senate from 1 July
2005, previous obstacles to workplace relations reform are likely
to be overcome or substantially lessened. The Government plans to
introduce amending legislation in late 2005 or perhaps in 2006,
which should expand federal jurisdictional coverage of employers
and employees most probably at the expense of State industrial
relations (IR) jurisdictions. It would not be surprising to find
that the legislation takes the form of separate bills, due to the
difficulties of over-riding state industrial law.

Though there is no bill/s, an outline of the new IR scheme was
made by the Prime Minister in a statement to Parliament on 26 May
2005 (cited below). The Minister for Employment and Workplace
Relations, the Hon Kevin Andrews, had earlier canvassed the form
that the new legislation would take.

Key points of the PM s address are provided below:

Employment Advocate

Australian Workplace Agreements and
Certified Agreements will in future be filed with the Office of the
Employment Advocate without any reference to the Australian
Industrial Relations Commission and will be approved on lodgement
with the Office of the Employment Advocate . It is likely that a
consequence will be less or no independent audit of the contents of
agreements. In any case, the current No Disadvantage Test (NDT)
which compares provisions of AWAs and CAs against relevant or
designated award provisions is to be discarded. A new NDT will be
based on 5 minimum employment conditions, a wage rate and four
minimum conditions is to be stipulated in legislation. According to
PM Howard:

Currently workplace agreements are assessed against a test which is
unduly complex and which acts as a hindrance to agreement making.
For this reason, the Government will introduce a new Australian
Fair Pay and Conditions Standard. This new Standard will be
the test for all agreements. It will make it easier for employers
and their employees to compare any agreement against this new
safety net of fair pay and conditions.

Australian Fair Pay Commission

A new Australian Fair Pay
Commission, will set a new minimum wage and junior, training and
disability wages, award classification wages and casual loadings,
i.e. wages above and below the minimum wage. However:

No
worker can have their relevant award classification rate
lowered.

It is
possible that despite references by the Prime Minister to using the
Constitution’s corporations power (s.51/20) as the basis of a
new national labour law system, reliance could also be made on the
Constitution’s external affairs power (s.51/29). The
ratification of ILO conventions may allow the federal government to
takeover the setting of minimum wages, as the constitutional basis
of the powers of the AFPC. ILO Convention 131 (Minimum Wage Fixing)
requires member states to establish a system of minimum wages which
covers all appropriate groups of workers. The competent authority
shall determine the groups of workers to be covered in agreement,
or after full consultation, with the respective organisations of
employers and workers concerned. The Whitlam Government ratified
this convention in 1973. (Note that in the event, the external
affairs power has not been explicitly used in the WorkChoices
legislation except for unlawful termination, and the WorkChoices
apprenticeship provisions are not as expansive as the Prime
Minister earlier suggested, being confined to school-based
apprentices).

Awards to be reviewed by Task Group

A special Task Group will be set up
to review existing awards and award classification structures with
the aim of rationalising them. The Task Group will attempt to
complete its work within 12 months. Matters such as: jury service,
notice of termination, long service leave and superannuation will
be removed from awards. However, as the proposed NDT does not
include provisions such as penalty rates, awards can effectively be
by-passed by agreements at one dollar above the Australian Fair Pay
Standard. It is not clear whether employers will be able to take
industrial action against employees in making AWAs (as is currently
the case).

Australian Industrial Relations Commission

The institution of the Australian
Industrial Relations Commission is to be maintained while its key
functions will be directed to other institutions. Devoid of
responsibility for collective agreements, no role in setting
minimum wages and employment conditions and many fewer unfair
dismissal cases to consider (see below) the AIRC will focus on
resolving legitimate interstate industrial disputes (which are
likely to be stipulated as illegal), as well as the further
simplification of awards, presumably under direction from the
Taskforce. The Government may move the resolution of illegitimate
industrial disputes to the court system.

Unfair dismissal

The Government will extend the
number of employees which give employers exemption from unfair
dismissal claims from 20 to 100. For those employers above the 100
employee limit, employees will not be able to take unfair dismissal
action until they have been employed for six months. Further detail
of the proposals will clarify as to whether applications for a
remedy against an unfair dismissal are to commence in a court, or
before the AIRC as is currently the case that is, where the
employee worked in a business with more than 100 employees. The
current prohibitions against unlawful termination (on the grounds
of trade union membership, pregnancy, gender and so-on) are to
remain although the onus of proof may be altered.

Powers to be referred from the States

At the 3rd June 2005
Council of Australian Government s meeting, the States (other than
Victoria) were invited by the PM to refer their powers on workplace
relations to the Commonwealth.

In the
absence of referrals by the States, the Government will move
towards a national system by relying on the Corporations power in
the Constitution.

All States refused the Commonwealth
offer, and battle lines are being drawn over a hostile take-over
State labour law by the Commonwealth.

Other proposed legislation

The PM
forecast other legislation, including legislation stalled in the
Senate, to:

protect the status of independent contractors and support the
right of people to make a choice about their working
arrangements

ensure the rule of law is restored to the building and
construction industry

restore the exemption for small business from making redundancy
payments

establish the Australian Safety and Compensation Council to
oversee implementation of national occupational health and safety
standards and pursue a national approach to workers compensation,
and

remove barriers to the take up of school based apprenticeships
and part-time apprenticeships

Chronology

Milestones

Details

Source Documents

28 September 2004

Liberal/National Coalition releases Industrial (Workplace)
Relations Policy. Exempting small business of 100 employees from
dismissal is not included, nor replacement of the award-based no
disadvantage test . The policy includes independent contractors and
labour hire proposals and federal-state harmonisation.

Outcome of elections for the Senate
clarifies that the Coalition will have 39 senators out of 76.

31 October 2004

WA Employment Protection Minister
John Kobelke foreshadowed possible High Court challenge to a
federal IR takeover based on corporations power noting that use of
the power for IR was not part of State referrals/agreements in
1991/2001.

Address to WA IR
Society

9 November 2004

The International Monetary Fund
advocates wind back of the award system s role in prescribing the
minimum wage and to reduce overlap between state and federal award
systems. Supports boosting labour force participation of mature
workers; advocates curbing spending on the disability support
pension and boost work incentives.

A group of 20 prominent businessmen
wrote to the PM proposing that contract principles be extended to
employment contracts more generally in order to give labour market
participants greater freedom of choice; legislating to give
employees freedom to choose their terms and conditions of
employment (should the Parliament decide to go down this path) and
avoid tribunal or court interpretations that ran counter to such
changes; removing the legal privileges enjoyed by unions; assess
macro and micro economic consequences of major IR change, with a
particular emphasis on the connection between the welfare system
and the labour market especially when welfare benefits act as a
deterrent to job seeking ; consider the implications of Australia s
past ratification of ILO conventions on Parliament s sovereignty
over labour market laws.

In opening speech to the
41st Parliament the Governor-General states in its
fourth term the government will accelerate the reform of workplace
relations as a means of raising productivity and Australian living
standards. A strategic package of measures will be pursued in this
Parliament to promote that objective .

PM replies to businessmen rejecting
their call for a commission of inquiry into IR but confirms
examination to achieve greater harmony among the six overlapping
workplace relations systems. This will include considering the use
of the Commonwealth s constitutional powers, including the
corporations power.

OECD urges the Howard Government to
reduce the number and scope of allowable award matters and cut the
level of minimum wages. Australia s minimum wage which according to
the OECD sits at 58% of median earnings is the second highest in
the developed world. This is arguably too high, as it constrains
job opportunities for the low-skilled.

Premier Beattie in an address to
the AWU s national conference said that State Cabinet had resolved
it would go to the High Court in a constitutional challenge if the
Howard Government proceeds with plans to take over the State s IR
system. He said the State IR system was working well and that in
the September quarter, days lost to industrial disputes were half
the national average. About 60% of Queensland s workers are covered
by the State IR system.

The Victorian Trades Hall Council
resolved to pursue a strategy to deal with the barrage of IR
legislation expected out of Canberra this year and to also call on
the State Government to take back the IR power it handed the
Commonwealth in 2003 if awards are stripped right back.

14 February 2005

Treasurer Peter Costello argues
that there is now the once in a generation opportunity to enhance
individual contracts, to cut down on arbitral matters, to try and
get wages linked to productivity improvements and enhance
profitability, to get ease of entry, ease of exit, into employment
situations, to give flexibility in relation to hours, and to
improve opportunities for part-time work.

Business Council of Australia
advocates slashing allowable award matters from the current 20
allowable matters to six, proposes benchmarking the no disadvantage
test against the proposed six allowable matters and simplifying AWA
approval processes and extending their maximum terms from three to
five years.

The Master Builders Association
wants the Federal Government to soften the Building and
Construction Industry legislation s tough anti-pattern bargaining
provisions. It argues that the key issue is whether parties
genuinely agree to the deals struck. It also wants the legislation
s provisions on award simplification, union right of entry, and
registered organisation s responsibilities taken out, maintaining
the Government s existing bills on the same matters are adequate
for the construction sector.

CPSU-SPSF will seek to persuade the
states to bring 300,000 employees of state-owned corporations back
into direct Crown employment and remove them from the reach of
likely changes to the WR Act based on the corporations power.

7 March 2005

The Australian Industry Group
proposed that the Government reduce 2200 federal awards to 20
industry-based instruments; introduce a Minimum Wage Commission
similar to the UK s model and define state and federal
responsibilities for setting minimum conditions. Cabinet met to
consider again proposals for change.

Kevin Andrews re-introduced the
Building and Construction Industry Improvement Bill previously
introduced to Parliament in 2003 (not passed by the Senate). The
new Bill only contains the former Bill s enforcement provisions it
will later be amended to incorporate the full Cole legislative
package, including the new Australian Building and Construction
Commission.

11 March 2005

AMWU commences delegates meetings
across Australia on Government IR proposals to seek a commitment
from employers not to utilise the new legislation to undermine
workers wages and conditions (including commitments not to
introduce AWAs or restrict union access); and conducting campaigns,
with the involvement of other unions and community groups, against
the new laws.

15 March 2005

The ACTU launched the national
campaign it had been foreshadowing to try to blunt the Federal
Government s IR agenda.

Professor Ron McCallum warned
against moving the regulatory underpinnings from the Constitution s
labour power to the corporations power. Professor McCallum argued
that the dual system of IR regulation was not a significant barrier
to productivity growth.

The Productivity Commission argued
that there would be little pay-off or significant productivity
improvements from nationally determined IR, which would be to the
detriment of jurisdictional competition.

WA s new Liberal leader, Matt
Birney, said that he cannot and will not support the Federal
Government s proposal to take over our state-based industrial
relations systems . SA s opposition IR Minister, Iain Evans,
supports a dual system. In Queensland, the National s IR
spokesperson, Marc Rowell, has States-rights concerns.

Premier Beattie announced that he
would amend the Qld State IR Act to protect conditions including
long service leave, super, severance pay, notice of termination,
dispute-settling procedures, weekend penalties, jury service and
overtime and shift loadings against the federal proposals.

AIRC hands down what is likely to
be its last Safety Net Wage decision ($17pw, new minimum wage:
$484.40) given that under the PM s statement, it is proposed to
have the wage setting role of the AIRC replaced by the Australian
Fair Pay Commission

The NSW ALP State conference
resolved to resist the Howard Government s IR plans, by adopting a
policy prohibiting companies holding contracts with NSW Government
agencies from engaging workers under AWAs. The policy requires
tenderers and contractors for Government work to offer collective
agreements and meet ILO labour standards.

AIRC President, Justice Giudice
said at an IR Conference that the PM s proposals were of enormous
significance politically, because of the debates that have
commenced and would no doubt continue for some time at state and
federal level; legally, because of the questions of constitutional
law involved; economically, because of their potential to affect
labour costs, employment and productivity levels; and socially,
because of their potential to affect earned incomes and non-wage
benefits.

17 academics drew up a report of
the proposed IR reforms arguing that the reforms will remove
employees rights at work, deliver one-way flexibility , do nothing
to increase productivity, and disadvantage the most marginalised
workers.

The Liberal Party s Federal Council
supported motions calling for state IR systems not to be
over-ridden by federal laws.

30 June 2005

Workplace stoppages occurred across
the country with an estimated 100 000 assembling to protest the
proposed IR changes in Melbourne. At the Melbourne rally, Kim
Beazley committed the ALP to collective agreements and right of
entry.

Opinion polls show a slump in
popularity of the Government attributed to the successful ACTU
campaign over the proposed IR reforms. Employers call for stalled
legislation (ban on pattern bargaining and small business
redundancy protection) to be brought on as soon as Parliament
resumes.

Government commences $20 million advertising campaign in weekend
newspapers to counter that of the ACTU. All agreements will be
required by law to meet the new test set out by the Australian Fair
Pay and Conditions Standard, protecting four weeks annual leave,
personal/carers leave, unpaid parental leave, a standard 38 hour
week, with minimum wages to be set by the new Fair Pay
Commission.

PM Howard s address to Sydney
Institute acknowledged that a radical overhaul of IR culture was
his Government s objective, describing cultural change as the most
important change that could be made to the labour market , and
cited that a new breed of worker, the enterprise worker had arrived
in the Australian labour market.

The National Farmers Federation
(NFF) warned it would not support changes that left its members
worse off. Many family-owned farms may be excluded from the package
unless they forgo tax benefits and become incorporated.

The Business Council of Australia
releases a research report by Access Economics (Locking in or
Losing prosperity? 2005and beyond) which claims that
urgent political action is needed to halt the decline of
productivity and economic competitiveness.

The AIRC gives workers right to
request variations to conditions, including taking an extra 12
months unpaid parental leave; returning to work part-time until a
child reaches school age; extending carers leave to 10 days and
extending simultaneous parental leave to a maximum of 8 weeks.

The ACTU presented parliamentarians with a new booklet
detailing actual workers' experiences under the Howard Government's
industrial relations laws. The workers' stories are typical of the
problems facing up to ten million working Australians whose rights
are threatened by proposed reforms.

AIRC President Justice Geoffrey Giudice mounts a spirited
defence of the institution’s record in setting minimum wages;
he also outlines a proposed set of criteria for assessing the
structure of the Fair Pay Commission.

The workplace relations debate is one of the main reasons
Australians say they will change their voting intentions at a
federal election, a new survey has found. Small businesses are keen
on reform, but workers fear it would not be good for them.

PM Howard says that the forthcoming IR laws would remove any
award provision (state or federal) that restricted the range of
apprenticeships, and that the Australian Fair Pay Commission (AFPC)
would set competitive apprentice/trainee wages, raising the
possibility of ILO conventions such as those dealing with minimum
wages being relied on to displace state pay rates.

The Opposition sought to delay the Minister's second reading
speech, with Shadow IR Minister Stephen Smith arguing it was a
clear breach of standing orders to proceed when ALP members did not
have copies of the bill or the explanatory memorandum (only two
were made available on the parliamentary table.)

The Speaker, however, rejected his position, after copies of the
legislation were distributed in the Lower House - a ruling to which
the Opposition formally dissented.

4 November 2005

Australia's Anglican Archbishops and 17 Anglican Bishops
expressed "grave concerns" that there will not be enough time to
assess properly the Federal Government's proposed industrial
changes.

Business Council of Australia president Michael Chaney says the
proposed workplace changes are the continuation of a necessary
process that began 20 years ago, and not a radical overhaul to be
resisted.

The federal government guillotined debate on the IR reforms.
Leader of the House, Tony Abbott, claimed that more time had been
spent debating the changes than on any other bill (more than 24
hours). Labor said that more than 20 members had been denied their
wish to speak on the Bill.

The Bill passed 80 votes to 61.

The fast-track
Senate inquiry will hold five days of hearings in Canberra, and
will report on Tuesday November 22.
PM Howard's speech
on the need for the legislation.
The Special Minister for State Eric Abetz introduces the workplace
reforms legislation to the Senate.

The Senate Employment, Workplace Relations and Education
Committee’s Inquiry into the Workplace Relations Amendment
(Work Choices) Bill 2005 begins. Among attendees are the Department
of Employment and Workplace Relations; State and Territory
Ministers for Industrial Relations; Australian Industry Group and
the Uniting Church.

Attendees include the Housing Industry Association, National
Farmers Federation, Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry;
the Finance Sector Union and the Australian Services Union.

National Day of Community Protest against the federal
government’s proposed industrial relations changes. The ACTU
claims that half a million people took to the streets of cities and
towns across Australia to protest against the industrial relations
reforms. However the ACCI said more than 95% of workers had ignored
the call to join the protest.

20 November 2005

In a savage report and interview on Channel 9’s Sunday
program, both PM Howard and Workplace Relations Minister Andrews
were confronted with real life situations in which workers were
losing wages and conditions through individual
agreements.

The Senate inquiry report recommends that the government's
workplace relations legislation should be passed by parliament and
made law. However, all non-government senators, in dissenting
reports, were opposed to the contentious Work Choices Bill.

A meeting of the Queensland Nationals management committee
urged that changes be made to the IR Bill., however no resolution
was passed. The Nationals had earlier voted with the Beattie Labor
Government in a motion in State Parliament calling on Qld senators
to reject the reforms. Federal Nationals leader Mark Vaile claims
that any changes would be minor and acceptable

Dr Don Edgar, founding head of the Australian Institute of
Family Studies, releases a “family impact statement”
commissioned by Unions NSW, which states that the IR proposals will
damage relationships within families.

A research paper produced by the Commonwealth Parliamentary
Library reviews the Commonwealth’s power to establish a
single IR system, and suggests that employers should factor in the
prospect of legal uncertainty from constitutional challenges to the
Work Choices legislation.

National Senator Barnaby Joyce wins some concessions to the
legislation – the right to refuse to work on
“iconic” public holidays; guaranteed fortnightly pay
(unless agreed otherwise); and changes to the unfair dismissal
provisions.

2 December 2005

The Work Choices Bill with Government amendments passes the
Senate 35-33. A time limit on debate on amendments is imposed by
the Government.

The Work Choices Bill passes the House of Representatives. Most
provisions are expected to apply from March 2006; setting up the
Fair Pay Commission and removing the obligation for small
businesses to pay severance will take effect once Royal Assent is
given.

Barrister Steve Crawshaw SC suggests that to counter Work
Choices’ industrial action provisions, the States enact trade
union immunity legislation to prevent state courts being used in
common law actions for damages against unions

15 December 2005

Key parts of the Work Choices Act are given Royal Assent. This
will establish the Fair Pay Commission; exempt businesses employing
15 or fewer from redundancy pay; and create a national regime
regulating the employment of school-based apprentices and trainers.
Most provisions in the Bill’s Schedule 1 are not expected to
come into force until March 2006.

19 December 2005

The Australian reports on a previously unreleased Treasury
Minute which concludes that wage rises will be smaller and
productivity increases less, under WorkChoices.

NSW announces measures to protect collective bargaining against
Work Choices in NSW; lodges a writ in the High Court challenging
the constitutional basis of Work Choices, and proposes to expand
the scope of the NSW IR Commission to allow it to conciliate and
arbitrate over common law industrial agreements.

An ALP Parliamentary IR Taskforce is set to tour Australia to
gauge the effects of the Howard Government’s WorkChoices
legislation and will report to Opposition Leader Kim Beazley and
Caucus on 8 May. It will be headed by Victorian MP Brendan
O’Connor, who said it had been established to
‘highlight the adverse consequences’ of the IR
legislation.

The full bench of the NSW Industrial Relations Commission has
ruled that it has the power to reinstate a sacked federally-covered
worker, under s137(1)(b) of the NSW IR Act.

7 February 2006

Minister Andrews reschedules the next Workplaces Relations
Ministerial Council meeting to May. NSW IR Minister Della Bosca
says that is too late for the states and territories to be
adequately informed about the implementation phase of the Work
Choices Act..

8 February 2006

In a Directions Hearing, the High Court provisionally set aside
8–12 May to hear State (and other) submissions on the
constitutionality of Work Choices.

9 February 2006

Award Review Taskforce meets for first time. Qld barrister
Andrew Herbert replaces the AWU’s David Cragg on the
Taskforce, after the ACTU said it would not be party to award
‘slash and burn’. Chair of the Taskforce argues that
contradictions of Work Choices have made awards more complicated
and may seek an extension for reporting.

Senate Estimates reveal that almost $750,000 has been spent on
external law firms in 2005-06 to draft the new IR laws and
regulations and the total cost of Work Choices across a number of
agencies will be $458.9m over 4 years.

Finance Minister Senator Minchin addresses a meeting of the
H.R. Nicholls Society, acknowledging that the recent IR reforms are
extremely unpopular, and suggesting that the Government seek a
mandate at the next election for further reform, targeting awards
and the Industrial Relations Commission.

Victoria files its application to the High Court challenging
the constitutionality of the Work Choices Act.

8 March 2006

NSW passes legislation to protect NSW public sector employees
from the Work Choices Act by making the NSW government the employer
of ‘corporatised’ NSW employees, and a second bill
allowing the NSW IRC to hear disputes over common law
contracts.

The Work Choices Act comes into effect. In addition to the
Chair of the AFPC, the Government announced the appointment of 4
part time commissioners to the AFPC: Judith Sloan, Hugh Armstrong,
Patrick McClure and Michael O’Hagan.

The Prime Minister and the Treasurer jointly respond to a Govt
Taskforce on business regulation by announcing that the cost of
incorporation will be reduced from $800 to $400 an incentive for
businesses to incorporate

AIRC President, G. Giudice compared the different minimum wage
setting standards Work Choices stipulated for the AFPC compared to
the those the WR Act previously stipulated for the AIRC re setting
a safety net of wages

Minister Andrews launches ADRAS (whereby up to $1500 is
available to parties who seek to use alternatives to the AIRC in
disputes) and UTAS (unlawful termination of employment assistance
of up to $4000).

Shadow IR Minister Stephen Smith provided an analysis of Work
Choices AWAs with the Spotlight grocery business, showing that
award penalty rates, overtime and paid rest breaks had been
bargained away in return for an increase for an increase 2c ph
higher than the relevant award rate

The OEA informed Senate Estimates that of a sample of 4 per
cent of all AWAs filed under Work Choices, 16 per cent excluded all
protected award conditions and 22 per cent didn’t provide for
a pay rise over their term.

The OECD’s Economic
Survey of Australia 2006 (Ch. 5) commends the WorkChoices
package, but says the Federal Government should go further and
either abolish industrial awards altogether or pare them back; and
introduce a single, low minimum wage.

4 August 2006

In a submission to the Senate Inquiry into the provisions of
the Independent Contractors Bills, ACCI suggested a rethink of
plans to protect workers sacked then rehired as independent
contractors, while the ACTU urges the bills not be passed unless
protections for pay, leave and bargaining rights are included.

ACTU cites Queensland employer group recommending Work Choices
to introduce a flat weekend rate, make staff accountable for till
shortages, remove the minimum engagement period for juniors and do
away with the award system.

AIRC's President, Justice Geoffrey Giudice, reported that
between March 27 (Work Choices) and the end of August the AIRC had
received fewer applications to initiate bargaining periods,
challenge dismissals and to stop industrial action than it had for
the corresponding period last year.

Address to Queensland IR Society's annual conference

4 September 2006

Award Review Taskforce report (July 2006) is released by
Minister Andrews but recommends against immediate rationalisation
of pay and classification scales.

OEA statistics show that 129, 678 AWAs, 971 union collective
agreements and 1162 employee collective deals have been lodged
under Work Choices. Union agreements covered 58% of all persons
under agreements.

Unions
and employers condemn the Government and the AFPC for being unable
to publish the full and accurate details of Pay and Classification
Scales following Work Choices takeover of State awards and
agreements.

PM
Howard announces AWAs will be assessed against a new Fairness test
where employees earn less than $75,000 and where the agreement
modifies or removes any or all "protected" award conditions
(operative from 7 May). He flags amendments on the WR Act s duress
and transmission of business provisions and a public information
campaign on the changes. OWS is to become the Workplace Ombudsman;
the OEA to become the Workplace Authority.

Chronologies are written for members of Parliament,
being located on the Internet they can be read by members of the
public, however some linked items are available to members of
Parliament only, due to copyright reasons.